The operation to remove a grounded vessel from Qawra, following a vicious storm last February, will start on Monday, Transport Malta said.

It follows the approval of the wreck-removal-plan and the granting of the environmental permit. The work is expected to take around 35 days.

The P&I Club, as insurers, had, on behalf of the owners of the Hephaestus vessel, issued a call for quotations to commission the removal.

Local contractors Cassar Ship Repair (CSR) were awarded the contract. They have started to mobilise equipment and are undergoing the final preparations.

Read: Captain of ship which ran aground describes ordeal

The plan is to first mobilise and undergo a further in-depth risk assessment. The contractor will then render the vessel safe for personnel to enter. Once inside, personnel will clean all the compartments and close off all breaches in the hull.

With the help of specialised equipment, CSR will lift the vessel from the rocks and lower it back into the water. Once afloat, it will be towed to the contractor’s ship repair facility in Marsa. Transport Malta and the Environment and Resources Authority will monitor the operation throughout.

The vessel, a 60-metre tanker registered in Togo, was grounded in Qawra, during a storm on the February 10. The crew returned to shore safely after abandoning the cargo-less vessel.

Transport Malta appealed to the public to observe the no entry restrictions in the area so as not to impede the works and in the interest of safety.